Generally speaking when a user approaches an imaging scanner with a portable electronic device to scan a coupon or a barcode on the portable electronic device, the user cannot be sure that the portable electronic device is properly positioned under the imaging scanner to get the best scan.
Additionally, usually there is no immediate feedback on the decoding of the presented image or barcode at imaging scanner.
There have been other solutions in the art to solve some of these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,777,109 discloses a customer facing imaging scanner. The scanner includes an imaging unit in a C-shaped housing unit. The mobile screen to be imaged is placed on the lower surface of the housing facing upwards. The customer can view the mobile screen placed on the lower surface and make adjustments to the placement for a successful imaging. The upper portion of the scanner includes an electronic display to display advertisements or other information to the customers during the transaction. However, placing the mobile screen correctly on the lower surface for scanning is done by eye at an angle to the lower surface. Additionally, advertisements and other information may be displayed on a separate portion of the scanner (other than the lower surface), which may not be viewed simultaneously as with positioning the mobile screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,788 provides a laser barcode scanner with a transparent support region. The customer can observe and confirm the barcode that is being scanned by viewing the barcode through the transparent support. A hologram may be reflected onto the transparent support to show information about the barcode scan. However, the customer is not holding the item to be scanned. For example, the mobile device that has the barcode to be scanned is held by the operator of the barcode scanner and not the customer. Additionally, the reflection-type hologram may be a complicated scheme.
US Patent publication 2014035377 discloses an electronic device with a transparent display unit which can be any portable electronic device as in a smartphone or a barcode reader. The user can view the barcode to be displayed and scan the barcode in real time by viewing the barcode through the heads-up display on the electronic device. However, this device is limited to customer use as the scanner is in the customer's hands. Additionally, depending on the location of the barcodes with respect to the customer, the positioning of the barcode in the heads-up display may take several attempts for a successful scan. Additionally, the customer may not be able to isolate one barcode on the display if there are a number of barcodes close together.
Therefore, a need exists for an imaging scanner of simple operation for which an image to be scanned from a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, can be accurately placed for successful scans by a presenter of the image, and for which the display of immediate feedback and/or other information is in the same field of view where the presenter is placing the image to be scanned.